auction in just under a month's time, unless a buyer came forward prepared to pay the full asking price prior to the sale.
Ged made up his mind. He reached for his mobile phone and keyed in a few numbers. A sleepy voice answered.
"What? Are you crazy, man? Do you know what time it is?"
"Just after five a.m. I have a job for you."
"Save it until morning. If it's real estate, it's going nowhere."
"Now. You're my fucking lawyer, James, and I pay you to be awake when I need you. I want you to buy a castle for me."
"A... did you say a castle?"
"Yeah. In England. I'll send you the details."
*****
Ged viewed his latest acquisition through darkened glasses despite the cloudy grey of the cool spring morning. He shivered and dragged his leather biker's jacket around him and fastened the zip. However long he spent travelling the earth, and regardless of the inhospitable locations he had been forced to settle from time to time, nothing quite matched a drizzly morning in Northumberland for sheer bone-numbing cold. There was some peculiar quality in the wind of this, England's most northerly county, he surmised, which rendered it able to penetrate any clothing.
"Christ, it's fucking freezing. Are you sure about this?" His companion assessed the crumbling remains of Ged's old home with a critical professional eye. He also wore dark glasses
"Quite sure," confirmed Ged. "I was lord here, once. It was mine, and I want it back."
"You have it back. According to James the sale completed yesterday, and you’re now lord of all you survey. Congratulations."
Ged allowed himself a slight smile. "There's still a roof on the great hall. Well, some of it. Let’s get inside there out of the daylight before we both fry."
"Good idea." Both men sprinted up the banking in the direction of the main part of the remaining structure. They clattered inside, though neither removed their aviator sunglasses.
Ged cast his critical gaze around the bare stone walls surrounding them. About seven feet above his head the remains of a ceiling and upper floor jutted from the walls, and he could easily pick out what was left of fireplaces, windows, and even the garde robe. He grimaced to himself at the memory of the bitter winter gales whistling around his naked arse as he crouched in that tiny cubicle. There was much to be said for twenty-first century plumbing, which brought him nicely to the reason he insisted his friend of over two hundred years fly to Britain from his home in Sweden to visit the site with him. Sven was also a vampire, but more important for this little venture, he was an architect. He understood Ged's specific requirements and if anyone could restore this place to a livable condition, it would be him.
"I want you to renovate this place for me. You know, comfortable, safe, and all mod cons.”
"What the fuck for? There's nothing for miles around."
"I intend to live here."
"I had a nasty feeling you were going to say that. What part of this pile of rocks looks to be in any way habitable to you?"
"This bit. The hall." Ged gestured around him. "With the upper floor gone you could just construct something else within this space. It's fucking huge, you could get a three storey house in here."
"If you want to build a three story house, why not buy a nice site closer to civilisation, something flat, and with nothing already on it?"
Ged grinned. "You know why. Come on, what are your ideas?"
Sven shook his head, but his answering grin confirmed what Ged knew. His friend understood perfectly his urge to return to his roots, to the place where it all began.
Sven started to pace out the area, then produced a laser measuring tool from his inside jacket pocket and checked his measurements. He also dragged out his mobile phone and used that to record his thoughts.
Superfluous for the time being, Ged picked his way across to what was left of the kitchens and perched on the remains of the bread oven. He waited, knowing better than to ask
Ged made up his mind. He reached for his mobile phone and keyed in a few numbers. A sleepy voice answered.
"What? Are you crazy, man? Do you know what time it is?"
"Just after five a.m. I have a job for you."
"Save it until morning. If it's real estate, it's going nowhere."
"Now. You're my fucking lawyer, James, and I pay you to be awake when I need you. I want you to buy a castle for me."
"A... did you say a castle?"
"Yeah. In England. I'll send you the details."
*****
Ged viewed his latest acquisition through darkened glasses despite the cloudy grey of the cool spring morning. He shivered and dragged his leather biker's jacket around him and fastened the zip. However long he spent travelling the earth, and regardless of the inhospitable locations he had been forced to settle from time to time, nothing quite matched a drizzly morning in Northumberland for sheer bone-numbing cold. There was some peculiar quality in the wind of this, England's most northerly county, he surmised, which rendered it able to penetrate any clothing.
"Christ, it's fucking freezing. Are you sure about this?" His companion assessed the crumbling remains of Ged's old home with a critical professional eye. He also wore dark glasses
"Quite sure," confirmed Ged. "I was lord here, once. It was mine, and I want it back."
"You have it back. According to James the sale completed yesterday, and you’re now lord of all you survey. Congratulations."
Ged allowed himself a slight smile. "There's still a roof on the great hall. Well, some of it. Let’s get inside there out of the daylight before we both fry."
"Good idea." Both men sprinted up the banking in the direction of the main part of the remaining structure. They clattered inside, though neither removed their aviator sunglasses.
Ged cast his critical gaze around the bare stone walls surrounding them. About seven feet above his head the remains of a ceiling and upper floor jutted from the walls, and he could easily pick out what was left of fireplaces, windows, and even the garde robe. He grimaced to himself at the memory of the bitter winter gales whistling around his naked arse as he crouched in that tiny cubicle. There was much to be said for twenty-first century plumbing, which brought him nicely to the reason he insisted his friend of over two hundred years fly to Britain from his home in Sweden to visit the site with him. Sven was also a vampire, but more important for this little venture, he was an architect. He understood Ged's specific requirements and if anyone could restore this place to a livable condition, it would be him.
"I want you to renovate this place for me. You know, comfortable, safe, and all mod cons.”
"What the fuck for? There's nothing for miles around."
"I intend to live here."
"I had a nasty feeling you were going to say that. What part of this pile of rocks looks to be in any way habitable to you?"
"This bit. The hall." Ged gestured around him. "With the upper floor gone you could just construct something else within this space. It's fucking huge, you could get a three storey house in here."
"If you want to build a three story house, why not buy a nice site closer to civilisation, something flat, and with nothing already on it?"
Ged grinned. "You know why. Come on, what are your ideas?"
Sven shook his head, but his answering grin confirmed what Ged knew. His friend understood perfectly his urge to return to his roots, to the place where it all began.
Sven started to pace out the area, then produced a laser measuring tool from his inside jacket pocket and checked his measurements. He also dragged out his mobile phone and used that to record his thoughts.
Superfluous for the time being, Ged picked his way across to what was left of the kitchens and perched on the remains of the bread oven. He waited, knowing better than to ask
Similar Books
